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Thread: Boxes

  1. #16
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    Bill congrats on selling your work on Etsy, that is awesome! BTW, good luck with the move, or are you already in Wisconsin?

    My Etsy store is: “MikeHandmadeWoodwork” - I know not very catchy! I really do appreciate any coaching.

    Cheers, Mike

  2. #17
    Join Date
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    You might open a similar thread in the "woodworking business" section of the forum, only a visible sub forum when you are logged in.

    I remember the build thread on the serpentine front with the veneer on the drawer fronts, no way would I sell one of those for under $300.

    The fundamental problem is finding a customer base that is willing to pay the price your pieces are worth. You are describing yourself, your work habits as more of an artist and less of a "woodworker" so you might think about art galleries that cater to the well heeled. Gallery pieces. You have, I think, enough of a catalogue to maybe place one item in two different galleries with photos of your other existing pieces available in both galleries. I aspire to do gallery level one offs rather than banging out high volume less expensive stuff, but I am decades away from your displayed skill level.

    I keep an eye on Craigslist and Facebook market place local to me, near my mom and near my mother in law. In roughly Redding, California, Portland, Oregon and interior Alaska neither of FB or CL are a good place to expect thise to sell at a fair price.

  3. #18
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    Beautiful boxes!!! Maybe 1stDibs would be a better place to sell your work: https://www.1stdibs.com/
    Chris

  4. #19
    Did you look at the “Pinterest” site?

  5. #20
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    Thanks a lot Chris, Scott and Mel – those are great suggestions that I was not aware of. I will definitely check them out. Never occurred to me that I can just walk into an art gallery in La Jolla (definitely the very fancy part of San Diego) and ask if they would be willing to try and sell one of my pieces? Would feel too bad when they laughed me out of the place.

    Again my apologies for hijacking a “projects” thread. Really appreciate the insight and advice. has really impacted my projects in that has really narrowed the scope of things I can build from Casesize furniture to portable smaller items.

    Cheers, Mike

  6. #21
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    Mike, nice work. As to galleries and other art-focused retail, take some professional quality photos of a variety of the pieces and, perhaps, one sample with you, if you stop in to inquire about them taking on your work. You never know what you might stumble into. Be sure to consider that a retailer or gallery will take a significant cut of the sale for consigned work so that's got to be part of the pricing planning so you insure you get what you want/need out of each piece.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #22
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    A low risk approach would be to enter a gallery with a few photos and one piece out in the vehicle to ask the gallery owner of the owner knows of a gallery that might be interested in having a piece (or pieces) like this on the floor.

    There used to be in Los Angeles a warehouse sized building full of booths operated by numerous vendors. All interior decorator stuff. Three or four stories tall, thousands of square feet per floor. All of those vendors are always looking for new stuff to have in their booths. The one time I went there were shoppers from all around the pacific rim.

  8. #23
    Beautiful boxes Mike! I think you hit the nail on the head in regards to Etsy. It’s a market that is flooded with inexpensive items, which makes quality work like yours seem expensive to those not familiar with high end woodworking. And there is so much on there, it’s hard to even have your work seen.

    I’ve had the exact same experience when I set up a store to try selling high end landscape photographs. Even at reduced prices, I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) compete with cheap prints that appeal to the masses.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    N. Idaho
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    Hi Mike,

    not much to add other than to say the boxes look great and I’m cheering you on!
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    I agree with Tim's comment on ETSY...from personal experience. I did sell a few pieces there during the time I had a store up, but there's no competing with the stuff that so many people nearly give way with no regard or respect of their time to make things. When my $75 item is competing with someone else's $25 item, you know who's going to "win" the battle with a large percentage of potential customers and it's not my $75 item. (underpriced at that, IMHO)
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #26
    Gorgeous Boxes Mike! Maybe closer to the holidays you might put a few on Ebay. Must be some Mom Moms and Pop Pops willing to spend their Required Minimum Distribution for a Granddaughter.

  12. #27
    Mike, Beautiful work. Have you ever considered making toolboxes? I have the Carlyle Lynch measured drawing and plan for Duncan Phyfe’s tool chest. Here is a link to the museum article about the actual chest. https://blog.nyhsdev2.org/exhibit/tool-chest-tools If I could afford it, I would commission you to build one for me. You would at least be marketing to a group who appreciate your talent.

  13. #28
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    Thanks guys for the feedback! Tom, that’s a great idea – I appreciate you providing the links. Making toolboxes is always fun. Goodness knows I have plenty of tools to model the appropriate spaces! I think I’ll give that a try.

    Cheers, Mike

  14. #29
    Mike: I will try to get a full-size copy of the Carlyle Lynch’s drawing and instructions and send them to you.

  15. #30
    I looked into selling at a jewelry store and a store that sold handcrafted items. They wanted 50% of the selling price. That caused a problem because when I looked at what I wanted for the item and doubled it, it was too expensive for someone to purchase.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

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